It is recognized, to be one of the toughest, if not, the toughest military training programs in the world.If you’re at all familiar with the Navy SEALS, you know that Coronado, CA. is where prospective SEALS go for Hell Week, a five-day-long component of BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL).A 24-week training course that is designed to physically and mentally push recruits to their breaking point.Some can’t take it and “drop on request” by loudly ringing a large bell.While none of us will likely undergo such rigid training in our daily lives, there are lessons to be learned from those who succeed. In business and in our personal lives we will all face our own Hell Weeks. Life inevitably will push us beyond the envelope of our talent to the core of our character.Now imagine, if you will, a failure rate of 80%. Chest-deep in cold water and crawling through the sand, not everyone is willing to endure the pain, or, as the trainees say, "embrace the suck."According to one Navy SEAL, many who went through BUD/S had the physical ability in spades, but they still didn't succeed. And they all lacked one thing — mental commitment. The same quality that will help you succeed in life.Who are the types that fail?The weight-lifting meatheads, the kids covered in tattoos announcing to the world how tough they are, the preening leaders who don’t want to get their hands dirty and the look-at-me, pampered former athletes who have never been pushed beyond the envelope of their talent.Ergo, ladies and gents, here are some mental strategies, to help you develop the proper mindset to make it through whatever challenge you face in the real world.FINISH, FAIL OR DIEI know, it sounds dramatic and it is. The more drama, the better.Without question, the one thing you must keep telling yourself is, “They’re either going to kill me or fail me, but I am not quitting.” In SEALS, there are lots of things that can cause someone to fail — injury, serious medical conditions, academics, the 5.5 mile timed-swim, Third Phase run times, drown proofing, dive competency and more.It takes an insane level of discipline, dedication and skill and it culminates in what is called 'Hell Week.'It's a long process and it's not for the timid.All that aside, it is important to tell yourself, that you're not going to quit. You must have the determination to finish.If nothing else, Hell Week teaches SEAL trainees they are capable of far more than they ever thought possible. REMEMBER: ALL THINGS MUST PASSAll Things Must Pass is an album by English rock musician George Harrison — one that also holds a valuable lesson.BUD/S is highly regimented and scheduled and there are dozens of evolutions students go through each day. If one is particularly kicking your butt — such as the SEAL surf torture session — grit your teeth, muscle through it and focus on making it to the end. Then, you can warm up, cool down, hydrate, catch your breath, or whatever else you need to do to carry on. That horrible meeting you dread with management? Remember, it won't go on forever. You just need to survive it.There is a famous Churchillian saying, "If you are going through hell, keep going.”The pain that we encounter in life and in business is only temporary. We can push past it or we can live with the regret of quitting forever.TUNNEL VISION IS A GOOD THINGYou're unlikely to have to heave massive logs into freezing surf for days on end, but the same technique can help you get through lesser trials too. When it comes to extreme endurance, the lesson from SEAL training is simple: Tunnel vision is a good thing. You can apply this to many aspects of your life. If you are studying for a massive test, take it one page at a time. Lower your vision and piecemeal those big hurdles. It reduces the perceived mental weight of the tasks.Ultramarathoners who run insane distances swear by the same intense focus on the now. So if getting through a challenge seems like it might be too much for you, lower your gaze to whatever next step is right in front of you. .IF OTHERS MADE IT, SO CAN YOUIt may be cliche to say, but there is a nugget of truth to it.You need to tell yourself that succeeding is an achievable goal for those willing to put in the preparation and the mental commitment.Preparation, preparation, preparation.Be ready for anything. Expect the unexpected. And don't fall apart when it happens.Once you realize that it does not take a Superman to succeed — that only happens in the movies — you will develop the confidence that you, too, can be one of the 20% who make it through.Do the prep work, then make yourself believe — make yourself know — that you are as mentally and physically prepared as any other person who has made it through.IT'S JUST A GAMEDuring the first and second phases of BUD/S, each and every day, during each and every evolution, the instructors harass you, insult you, make you physically uncomfortable and play mind games at your expense.As in life, people are going to try to convince you to quit. They are going to tell you that you will never make it through, that you are weak.We've all had terrible managers and supervisors, people who should have never been promoted and don't give a damn about you.People who diminish, marginalize, terrorize and generally spew poison into a workplace. It's part of life and you can't escape it.Remember those teachers who told you, that you will never amount to anything? This is the time to prove them wrong.It is, in fact, a rite of passage. It's just a game. You learn it when you're through.TEAMS SURVIVE, INDIVIDUALS DO NOTOne of the most well-known training exercises during Hell Week is log PT.It is an exercise in which a 200-pound log is hoisted above the heads of the trainees — an impossibility if anyone was expected to do it on their own.Even spreading the load among six to eight team members is still difficult, especially when your muscles are fatigued and you’re operating on 30 minutes of sleep. But working as a team makes the impossible possible.In the same way, individuals do not build businesses — teams do. No business is successful because of its CEO. It is successful because all of the individuals in the organization are harnessing their unique skillsets, passions and drive towards a common goal.DO NOT HAVE A PLAN BThis may sound crazy, really crazy, but don't have a backup plan.If you have any inkling whatsoever that there are other good options for you if you don’t make it and that those alternatives would not be so bad, then you have lost the war. You're done for.You will quit and hate yourself for quitting, for the rest of your life.That, my friends, is how committed you have to be. It's all about the mind.While it might be a little like jumping out of a plane without a reserve parachute, go into your challenge with one and only one plan.Finish, fail or die. But never give up. Preparation, preparation, preparation.— with files from Sandboxx.us
It is recognized, to be one of the toughest, if not, the toughest military training programs in the world.If you’re at all familiar with the Navy SEALS, you know that Coronado, CA. is where prospective SEALS go for Hell Week, a five-day-long component of BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL).A 24-week training course that is designed to physically and mentally push recruits to their breaking point.Some can’t take it and “drop on request” by loudly ringing a large bell.While none of us will likely undergo such rigid training in our daily lives, there are lessons to be learned from those who succeed. In business and in our personal lives we will all face our own Hell Weeks. Life inevitably will push us beyond the envelope of our talent to the core of our character.Now imagine, if you will, a failure rate of 80%. Chest-deep in cold water and crawling through the sand, not everyone is willing to endure the pain, or, as the trainees say, "embrace the suck."According to one Navy SEAL, many who went through BUD/S had the physical ability in spades, but they still didn't succeed. And they all lacked one thing — mental commitment. The same quality that will help you succeed in life.Who are the types that fail?The weight-lifting meatheads, the kids covered in tattoos announcing to the world how tough they are, the preening leaders who don’t want to get their hands dirty and the look-at-me, pampered former athletes who have never been pushed beyond the envelope of their talent.Ergo, ladies and gents, here are some mental strategies, to help you develop the proper mindset to make it through whatever challenge you face in the real world.FINISH, FAIL OR DIEI know, it sounds dramatic and it is. The more drama, the better.Without question, the one thing you must keep telling yourself is, “They’re either going to kill me or fail me, but I am not quitting.” In SEALS, there are lots of things that can cause someone to fail — injury, serious medical conditions, academics, the 5.5 mile timed-swim, Third Phase run times, drown proofing, dive competency and more.It takes an insane level of discipline, dedication and skill and it culminates in what is called 'Hell Week.'It's a long process and it's not for the timid.All that aside, it is important to tell yourself, that you're not going to quit. You must have the determination to finish.If nothing else, Hell Week teaches SEAL trainees they are capable of far more than they ever thought possible. REMEMBER: ALL THINGS MUST PASSAll Things Must Pass is an album by English rock musician George Harrison — one that also holds a valuable lesson.BUD/S is highly regimented and scheduled and there are dozens of evolutions students go through each day. If one is particularly kicking your butt — such as the SEAL surf torture session — grit your teeth, muscle through it and focus on making it to the end. Then, you can warm up, cool down, hydrate, catch your breath, or whatever else you need to do to carry on. That horrible meeting you dread with management? Remember, it won't go on forever. You just need to survive it.There is a famous Churchillian saying, "If you are going through hell, keep going.”The pain that we encounter in life and in business is only temporary. We can push past it or we can live with the regret of quitting forever.TUNNEL VISION IS A GOOD THINGYou're unlikely to have to heave massive logs into freezing surf for days on end, but the same technique can help you get through lesser trials too. When it comes to extreme endurance, the lesson from SEAL training is simple: Tunnel vision is a good thing. You can apply this to many aspects of your life. If you are studying for a massive test, take it one page at a time. Lower your vision and piecemeal those big hurdles. It reduces the perceived mental weight of the tasks.Ultramarathoners who run insane distances swear by the same intense focus on the now. So if getting through a challenge seems like it might be too much for you, lower your gaze to whatever next step is right in front of you. .IF OTHERS MADE IT, SO CAN YOUIt may be cliche to say, but there is a nugget of truth to it.You need to tell yourself that succeeding is an achievable goal for those willing to put in the preparation and the mental commitment.Preparation, preparation, preparation.Be ready for anything. Expect the unexpected. And don't fall apart when it happens.Once you realize that it does not take a Superman to succeed — that only happens in the movies — you will develop the confidence that you, too, can be one of the 20% who make it through.Do the prep work, then make yourself believe — make yourself know — that you are as mentally and physically prepared as any other person who has made it through.IT'S JUST A GAMEDuring the first and second phases of BUD/S, each and every day, during each and every evolution, the instructors harass you, insult you, make you physically uncomfortable and play mind games at your expense.As in life, people are going to try to convince you to quit. They are going to tell you that you will never make it through, that you are weak.We've all had terrible managers and supervisors, people who should have never been promoted and don't give a damn about you.People who diminish, marginalize, terrorize and generally spew poison into a workplace. It's part of life and you can't escape it.Remember those teachers who told you, that you will never amount to anything? This is the time to prove them wrong.It is, in fact, a rite of passage. It's just a game. You learn it when you're through.TEAMS SURVIVE, INDIVIDUALS DO NOTOne of the most well-known training exercises during Hell Week is log PT.It is an exercise in which a 200-pound log is hoisted above the heads of the trainees — an impossibility if anyone was expected to do it on their own.Even spreading the load among six to eight team members is still difficult, especially when your muscles are fatigued and you’re operating on 30 minutes of sleep. But working as a team makes the impossible possible.In the same way, individuals do not build businesses — teams do. No business is successful because of its CEO. It is successful because all of the individuals in the organization are harnessing their unique skillsets, passions and drive towards a common goal.DO NOT HAVE A PLAN BThis may sound crazy, really crazy, but don't have a backup plan.If you have any inkling whatsoever that there are other good options for you if you don’t make it and that those alternatives would not be so bad, then you have lost the war. You're done for.You will quit and hate yourself for quitting, for the rest of your life.That, my friends, is how committed you have to be. It's all about the mind.While it might be a little like jumping out of a plane without a reserve parachute, go into your challenge with one and only one plan.Finish, fail or die. But never give up. Preparation, preparation, preparation.— with files from Sandboxx.us
